


In Childhood, The Things I Once Lost

by rainbowRamen



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: A bit of a Modern AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Happy Halloween guys, Hurt No Comfort, Multi, Murder, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Plush toy!Dimitri, Plush toy!Edelgard, but magic still exists, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-12-22 17:37:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21080468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowRamen/pseuds/rainbowRamen
Summary: As a child, Byleth had two stuffed dolls that she loved very much. She called them Edelgard and Dimitri. Though she spent an inordinate amount of time with them, when she was gifted another one, Claude, it seems that she left them behind....How would they feel about that?





	In Childhood, The Things I Once Lost

**Author's Note:**

> For an idea of what stuffed doll Edelgard and Dimitri are like, imagine your average anime plushie, but pre-timeskip Edelgard and Dimitri. Their human forms are just their canon appearances.  
I really don't like gore but I also wanted to do this because Halloween season is upon us! (It's really not that graphic but still...)
> 
> Before reading, though, do note:
> 
> \- I had to alter all three characters' personalities (Edelgard, Dimitri and Byleth) a bit drastically to fit this AU, but I've done my best to keep them in-character as much as possible.
> 
> \- This is a modern AU, but with magic. Neither Byleth nor Jeralt are trained mercenaries (although they still can defend themselves if need be), as they have not much need to fight. They've been living relatively peaceful lives prior to the story.
> 
> \- Byleth is only 17 in the present setting of the fic, so she is slightly younger than usual.

_Many years ago, there existed a certain girl, only 8 years old. Alone in her exceedingly spacious room, she sits on the floor, holding up two of her most beloved stuffed dolls and admiring them. One is of a girl with beautiful, long silver-blonde locks and bright violet eyes, and the other is of a boy with short, uneven blonde hair and curious blue eyes. The innocent child once respectively named them Edelgard and Dimitri, and she loves them so dearly. Every day, she holds the two of them in each of her small hands, her imaginative mind painting scenarios and scenes with them. From battles with her room as the stage, to small tea parties hosted by the window sill complete with cups of bergamot and chamomile tea at the ready, she'd done everything with them._

_From the moment she eats her lunch, to the hour where the sun's already setting and it's time for dinner, she's always playing with the two. Weaving her own little tales with them, there's nothing she misses out on. It's so easy to lose track of time when she does, and when she falls asleep, the little girl hugs them and instantly feels so much safer, falling asleep with a smile on her face as she dreams about her next story that would feature Edelgard and Dimitri as the stars of the show._

_"You're more meticulous than I would've expected, Dimitri," Edelgard nods, reaching over for her bergamot tea. Her voice is prim and proper, like the lady she appears to be. Dimitri stays still, but replies in that dignified voice of his._

_"So are you, El. I would not have thought you the type to host such a extravagant tea party." Dimitri shifts in his chair a little._

_Edelgard lets out a small chuckle at that. She merely shakes her head, "I wouldn't have imagined that for myself either," she reaches to take a pastry from the fancy high tea platter, "but perhaps you should try to sit still? You look awfully uncomfortable there."_

_Dimitri stays silent for a few moment, "You should be proud of yourself. This is a most lovely tea party." Offhandedly, he glances up at the clock and gasps softly. He hesitates for a moment, then stands up from the chair with a small smile on his face. "Ah, it looks like it's time. My apologies, El, but I must leave now, as I have a few drills to go through with Professor Hanneman. Thank you for hosting, I'll see you around." Edelgard doesn't reply, but waves as he turns to leave, then the scene ends._

_The little child in charge has mastered playing both of their roles in any scenario. She grins to herself, putting away the teacups, the tables and chairs, placing the two back on her bed. She looks out the window. The sun's already setting. She hears her father call for her from outside, and she shouts back with a cheerful "I'm coming!" as she briefly stops packing up to admire the two plush dolls that now sit on her bed innocuously, side-by-side, with their soft hair and intricate, meticulously crafted outfits. They always have cute smiles etched on their faces, and the girl loves nothing more._

_Such days continued every day, and the child never did stop playing with her favorite stuffed dolls. She'd thought that the two of them would suffice, that she needed no other._

_But she'd been wrong, unfortunately._

_When her 12th birthday falls, her father gifts her a brand new plush toy, of a cheekily grinning boy with dark hair swept up. He wears a similar outfit to her dear Edelgard and Dimitri, but the color of his robe is a bright yellow that you can't possibly ignore. The young girl is instantly entranced, and the more she plays with him, whom she eventually names Claude, she more she forgets the other two. Cups of Almyran pine needles tea replace the bergamot and the chamomile. She instantly creates a new voice for Claude; scheming and mischievous. Before long, he's now the girl's favorite. It's like the other two never existed in the first place._

_They simply sit on her shelf, now forgotten, and as she slowly erases their existence from her mind, she doesn't ever notice that their once-dazzling, joyous smiles had morphed into identical, disapproving frowns._

_By the time the girl, Byleth, turns 16, she has long stopped playing with her plushies and soft toys, leaving nothing but the two of them behind in the old cottage in the forest she used to live in as a child. And for all those years, said stuffed dolls have been waiting. _

_As they were left there on that shelf, with no one to pick them up and play with them, Edelgard and Dimitri seethed. They're mad. They're pissed off. At their owner, the little girl that played with them so often back then, but just abandoned them as soon as she got her pretty little hands on a new one. At fate, for allowing this to happen to them. To think that she could possibly forget them after all those times...nobody could possibly see it, but they collectively feel nothing but pure hatred for Byleth. For just throwing them away, taking all but them to her new home! There they sit, waiting for the chance to get their revenge. _ _Even inanimate objects have feelings, you know?_

* * *

"Byleth, I have a favor to ask of you," Byleth's father, Jeralt, calls as she's tidying up her room. She stops sweeping and sets the broom down, walking over to him.

"What's up?"

He hands her a few envelopes. "I need to get these delivered, but I have to go run some errands. Could you take this to the post office for me?"

"Sure thing," she replies, grabbing a sling bag from the nearby clothing rack. She slings the bag over her shoulder and stuffs the envelopes in there.

"Well, you're awfully excited." Jeralt jokes, chortling. He places a hand on Byleth's shoulder. "Thanks, kid. You're a big help." And with that, he turns around and heads down the stairs, leaving Byleth back alone.

She's silent for a few moments before she makes her way down, following her father, and waves him goodbye before pushing open the wide wooden doors and stepping outside. The streets are as busy as usual, people walking up and down and loudly chattering away. Byleth is familiar with where the post office is, as she's often traveled there with Jeralt. Walking down the trees under the bright blue sky, she greets a few citizens who address her kindly, humming tunes to herself as she makes her way to the post office. Nothing out of the ordinary occurs for the rest of the time, as Byleth goes to send off the envelopes with no incident.

Byleth is enjoying life. Things are relatively peaceful for her, living together with her dad. She doesn't go to school, but often helps people run errands and does favors for them to earn money, and she certainly is content with that. If life continues like that, as boring and normal as that is, it gets her somewhere in life, and that's all she really needs at her age.

She's so lost in her thoughts that she doesn't notice _where _she's going. As she's walking down a less-traversed part of the town, she suddenly stops. She hadn't been paying attention to where she'd been going after delivering the envelopes. Looking around, she realizes that she'd actually ended up _on the outskirts_, much to her panic. She's far enough that she can see the forests that surround the town in the distance, and although she wants to turn away immediately, knowing that it's a bad idea, she can't take her eyes off the distant expanse of trees.

Her father's warned her about it before. That the forest is incredibly dangerous, that no one in their right mind would willingly head in. Byleth knows she should turn away, she _knows _she should stay away, but then there's a thought that suddenly knocks on the door of her mind, that exploring uncharted territory would be fun. Two sweet voices, whispering to her. Two voices that aren't her own.

Wait..._two _voices that _are__n't her own_...?!

Where'd they come from? In confusion, Byleth strains her ears, searching for the source of the sounds. Sure enough, they're speaking again, softly but surely.

_"Over here! Over here!"_

Are they coming from the forest? She doesn't want to believe it, but it seems to be the case. She shouldn't. She _can't_. Yet she wants to know the source of these voices, where they're coming from, and a part of her is begging and tempting her to explore the huge forest. She swallows, gripping the strap of her bag tightly as she walks painfully slowly towards the forest, legs shaking slightly.

She takes a few deep breaths, and the moment she takes her first step onto the grass, she knows there's no turning back.

* * *

_Silence permeates the empty cottage - abandoned for a few years now. Only two plush dolls sit together, on the old shelf that used to be the room of a family's only daughter. Most of the cottage has clearly deteriorated from its once pristine state - cobwebs hang from several corners of the building, heavy blankets of dust have since settled on the wood floor; still alright, not rotten just yet, but nothing compared to how it once was. For the longest time, the toys that lay against the wall have not moved even an inch from where they were when their owner left and forgot about them. They fear they may not ever move again, and even more than that, they fear that they may lose their mind altogether. _ _It's so quiet to the point where it's just uncomfortable, but alas, they cannot speak, for they do not have a real voice. However, something immediately changes the course of everything._

_Footsteps. The sound of leather shoes upon the wooden stairs is instantly noticed. The adorable soft toys pay rapt attention as the door swings open, and a man with dark hair and walks in, looking over at the two. His eyes are covered by a long black cloak that drapes to the floor, so they can't tell what he's thinking._

_And then, he speaks._

_"Oh, you poor, poor children. Never to be touched ever again, unable to move...are those feelings of yours unfulfilled?"_

_He doesn't expect an answer and he doesn't get one, but he chuckles, already knowing it. He steps towards them, picking them up with a hand each, and plops them onto the floor, much to their confusion. He then smiles, steps back, and lifts a hand, runes appearing to float around his fingertips. The magic swirls, and he casts another glance at the unmoving objects. His hood moving just to reveal a golden eye as the air crackles, filling with magic. The man directs it towards the two toys on the floor. Purple mist surrounds them, seeming to seep into the soft fabric of their bodies, and although they do not react, it feels so very strange. To _ _Edelgard and Dimitri, describing what happens next is rather difficult. The moment the magic comes into contact with them, it's like a lightning strike. A sharp pain that lingers in their chests, as if their very souls were being torn apart from their bodies. _

_Their senses become so much sharper than before, and surprisingly, they seem to be getting taller, as heavy as the average human. The rest of their body grows to accommodate the sudden changes, as well. Edelgard's hair grows longer, reaching to her waist, and her uniform perfectly fits her, better than before, red cape neatly pinned to the side. Her violet eyes are no longer fake and embroidered like her stuffed doll counterpart, but instead beautiful and refined as she always has been. Dimitri, too, has his clothes altered to fit him better, and his blue eyes now are full of emotion, unlike before, where his eyes were merely sewed-on. The magic transforms their pitiful toy limbs into actual fingers so they can touch and hold, legs so they can walk. They blink a few times, looking around as the magic fades away and they get used to their surroundings._

_Edelgard struggles to balance properly, nearly falling over a few times, not used to walking in her black high-heels. She looks down at herself and is completely surprised, eyebrows raised. She stares at the man who stands before them, whose smile is menacingly joyful._

_"You...what did you do...?"_

_"Oh," the man replies in a calm, almost singsong tone, "I've given you two human forms._ _ Shouldn't that be quite obvious?"_

_Dimitri, like Edelgard, finds it hard to believe. But when he flexes his fingers and tries lifting a leg, they actually move. He, too, cannot stop himself from addressing the mysterious human. He's thankful for sure, but he is more curious than anything._

_"Why did you do this?"_

_Again, the man shrugs, dark-colored hair peeking out from under the hood of his coat, and grins. "You seem rather lonely, is all I thought. Left here alone for so many years, unable to move or do anything? Surely that cannot sit well with you. So, with the power of my magic, I have granted you both human forms, allowing you to wander free and do whatever you please. You can act on your feelings, leave this place - anything goes. Plus, I did give you these forms with magic...that comes with its perks. You two look lovely, by the way."_

_At the comment, a small blush grows on Edelgard's cheeks, but it quickly fades and she pays more attention to the rest of his words. "Indeed, now that we are fully human, we can finally achieve what we've always wanted - not exactly to leave this place, no, but...perhaps the complete opposite." The man's hair, or rather, what is visible of it, reminds the two of Byleth. Only fueling their emotions, Edelgard almost growls out her next words, "Yes...the time is nigh for our payback." _

_Dimitri nods in agreement, ever the quieter of the two. _ _The man then laughs darkly, pulling his hood over his head, revealing his face at last. A lock of hair hides one of his bright yellow eyes that seem to glow in the room, and a devilish, sinister smile graces his features._

_"Very good, very good. Now, although I must take my leave," he takes a deep bow, "my name is...Hubert von Vestra. Remember it well."_

_And before either Edelgard or Dimitri can say anything, he steps into the shadows and disappears as mysteriously as he had appeared. They're frozen in place for a moment, not knowing what to say, before Dimitri breaks the silence, turning to Edelgard._

_"Magic as a perk, hm...?" He smiles, an uncharacteristically twisted grin escaping him as he becomes intangible for one moment, and back to normal the next. "Shall we test and find out what exactly we can do? Perhaps it may help in our...endeavors." _

_Strangely, Edelgard is not frightened by Dimitri's expression as she feels the magic coursing through her. She nods._

_"Of course," her eyes narrow, "we will not let this chance slip. Not after all those years of waiting..."_

* * *

Byleth's eyebrows are raised, sapphire-blue eyes reflecting the bright and welcoming lights of the old mansion she now stands before. In her search for the source of those two voices she heard earlier, she's stumbled across the huge building. Why would such a large mansion be here, in the middle of nowhere?

What catches her attention and curiosity more than the mansion, however, are the two that stand before her; one on the left, one on the right. The faint yellow light that shines from the windows illuminates their features, giving them an almost ethereal appearance.

On her left stands a fairly short girl with violet eyes and beautiful, long silver-blonde hair that reaches to her waist, purple ribbons tied on each side of her head. She wears a black, long-sleeved uniform and shorts with golden accents. A red badge is pinned to the side of her uniform top, a cape colored the same crimson shade attached to it. Red tights and black heels accentuate her slim legs, adding to her charm. As she turns to look at the boy that stands to her right, Byleth notices his rather odd-looking blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and a similar uniform that the girl wears, only his badge and cape are a vivid azure-blue instead of crimson. They bow simultaneously, and the girl is the first one to speak.

"Greetings, miss. My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg," her long hair flows as she moves, "we welcome you to our humble mansion."

The boy does the same. "Yes, welcome. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." He smiles, "You must be so tired from your little hunt. Why don't you take a break and stay with us for a while?"

Byleth recognizes their voices and concludes that these two had been the mysterious pair calling out to her earlier. She must admit - she IS exhausted from searching all day. She'd been so determined to find them, as she'd felt a strange connection when they spoke to her, as if she ought to know something about them. Their names and their appearances...she's sure she's seen them before, but from where...? Who exactly _are _they? Why can't she remember? She looks at them, slightly hesitant.

"I'm not sure if that's safe..."

Edelgard's eyebrows furrow, as if offended by her response. "It'll be fine. You cannot possibly expect to find your way home in the darkness - for the sun has already set. I do so implore you to spend the night here." Her face lights up, "We have plenty of sweets, if you are hungry, and a nice, warm bed for you if you are tired."

"It is as she says. If you do not happen to be up for sleep just yet, we have so many different games and ways to entertain you," Dimitri smiles, "it will be fun, very fun indeed! So, what do you say?"

That sounds...a little too good to be true, a small part of Byleth thinks. Yet the offer is so tempting, and Edelgard is right. There's absolutely no way she could get home at this time, not without any lights to guide her. And sweets...she's always loved them. She's really hungry. Some candy right about now would be pretty nice. The two don't seem hostile, either...maybe if it's just for one night, it'd be fine. Plus, she has yet to solve the mystery of why she'd felt so odd when she heard their voices earlier that day. Although slightly reluctant, she nods.

"I suppose you're right. Well, then, if you'll have me, I wouldn't mind staying with you tonight."

Edelgard giggles, sending chills up Byleth's spine. "Of course! You are an honored guest," her lips curl up into a terrifying, yet somehow gentle smile, "and it is our job to ensure that you get the best experience tonight. Now then, please follow us."

As the two lead Byleth up the stairs to the front door, she cannot help but think that there might be something..._wrong_. No matter how hard she tries to remember, nothing comes to mind. Has it been that long? Or did she never know them in the first place? What if the odd burst of magic she felt when they called out to her had just been nothing but her imagination?

Dimitri pushes open the doors and they lead her inside, giving her the chance to look around, as she's curious about the extremely grand but old interior. From the worn-out marble floors to the crystal chandeliers that hang above to the wooden furniture that's already beginning to deteriorate, everything seems decent enough for a random mansion in the forest. They keep walking, letting the doors slam shut on their own, and have her climb another flight of stairs to the second floor, where countless rooms line the hallway. They stop at one of the rooms in the further corner of the floor, Edelgard's white-gloved fingers turning the golden doorknob open.

It's a pretty big room, all things considered. The door clicks shut, and Byleth knows that there's no turning back now.

"Wait here for a moment," Dimitri says as he drags a chair from the corner of the room to the center, while Edelgard goes over to the cupboard to fetch something that Byleth can't exactly see. Dimitri looks at her expectantly, so Byleth cautiously takes a seat on the wooden chair. It's...actually rather comfortable to sit in.

"Please, make yourself at home. Whatever you need, we will surely be able to deliver." Edelgard assures, but it does little to calm Byleth's rapidly pounding heart. There's a lot of things she needs right now, but food is of utmost priority. She keeps a neutral face on the outside, but she's really just _dying_ of hunger.

"You guys mentioned sweets, right? I need some food, so I'll have those. I don't feel like sleeping either, oddly. Introduce me to one of your little games, I guess."

Quite pleased with Byleth's answer, Edelgard nods. She smirks as she moves behind the teal-haired girl, holding a white blindfold in her hands.

"Of course. Why, our games are so much fun, and our sweets taste heavenly. You won't be able to stop eating them once you've started. Although..." She gently places the blindfold over Byleth's eyes and ties the knot securely, rendering Byleth unable to see anything. "What we have to offer is best experienced when you're blindfolded and blissfully unaware of anything!"

She gestures towards Dimitri with a small nod, and he seems to understand the signal. He quickly moves to the nearby countertop, where a bowl of candy lay, and takes a small piece of toffee from it.

"What are you guys--" Before Byleth can question their methods any more, the candy is placed into her mouth, and it immediately takes effect. A calming sensation washes over her as the candy lingers on her tongue, the overly sweet taste sending her into a trance. Yes...this is _exactly _the same taste as the sweets she grew up with as a kid - the taste of the toffee gives her nostalgic vibes, and before long, she finds herself wanting more.

"Ah. Look at her, El," Dimitri observes, a coy smile on his face, "It seems she quite enjoys the piece of candy I just gave her."

"Mhmm...of course she does. After all," Edelgard's eyes flash in amusement, "they're tailored to taste that way. See, Dimitri, she's even asking for more."

Sure enough, Byleth is now shaking slightly, hands open and quivering, wordlessly begging for another piece. Dimitri sneers and takes a handful from the bowl. "Open up."

Byleth immediately complies, opening her mouth just enough for Dimitri to slip a piece through her soft lips. Byleth whimpers, already entranced by its taste, and with every piece consumed, she asks for another, unknowingly sinking into a black sea of haziness. Her limbs feel so much heavier, and she can't lift her hands or legs at all. The sweetness of every candy fed to her overtakes her taste buds, sending strange tingles throughout her body. And even though she isn't tied up, she can't bring herself to even try moving. She doesn't _want _to.

She swears she can see her father before her, with the candies in hand, feeding them to her just like how he did back in the day. It's a hazy image, but it's _there_, and Byleth doesn't want it to end. It reminds her of the days where her father would feed her a whole variety of confectionery, and the very same taste now filling her with a feeling of satisfaction. So, she allows herself to indulge in her childhood and doesn't fight back.

Little does she know, though, that in reality, Edelgard and Dimitri are laughing and giggling away at their success.

* * *

"What's the matter, sir?"

A police officer pulls out his clipboard as Jeralt runs up to him, concern written all over his face. "My daughter has been missing for since yesterday," he shakes his head, "kid..."

The officer pulls out a pen from his shirt pocket, "And could you please tell me what happened before she went missing? Do describe her to me."

"Shoulder-length teal hair, she usually wears a black jacket, boots and lace tights. I'd sent her to the post office to deliver some envelopes for me, but I never heard or saw from her since. I tried to contact her, but she hadn't replied at all."

"Could I get your name, please? And your phone number."

"Jeralt Eisner. Here, let me write my number down for you." He takes the officer's clipboard and pen and writes down both his number and his name below the notes the officer had taken about Byleth. The brown-haired officer nods to him as he hands back the items.

"Alright, then. I'll relay the message to my higher-ups and we'll see what we can do."

Jeralt bows in gratitude. "Thank you very much." He turns around and walks off, only able to think about Byleth and _where she could possibly have gone off to_. He'd never have guessed that she would ever go missing just from delivering envelopes to a post office. Initially, he'd thought that she had just gotten lost, but as night fell, he grew more worried until he couldn't take it anymore.

At least the police will do something about it, Jeralt thinks to himself.

_Kid...be safe._

* * *

Even though Byleth wants to keep reliving her days as a young girl, she quickly learns that all things must come to an end eventually. When she wakes up, she quickly realizes two things. The blindfold has loosened, having slipped down and allowing her to see what's really going on, her body delirious from the drugged candies she was fed. She still can't move, but at least her sight and hearing have returned. Dimitri and Edelgard are talking to each other, seemingly unaware of Byleth, but before Byleth can do anything, their eyes meet in a sidelong glance. She freezes instantly as Edelgard smiles, walking towards her.

"My, what a bad girl," she chastises, "you've already woken up?"

As her white-gloved fingers stop to cup Byleth's cheek, she sees Dimitri coming up behind her from the corner of her eye. She shivers, hands gripping the seat of the wooden stool for dear life.

"You know, El, if she's waking up so early, perhaps I should permanently blind her? It would not be a challenge."

"Please, Dimitri. She wouldn't like that very much." They laugh cruelly again, but Byleth doesn't pay attention to that. Now that her mind is slightly clearer, she tries to focus on their voices, their appearances, their names...internally, she prays to the Goddess for an image, _any _image, that would help her.

_"Happy birthday, Byleth. Look, here's a brand new stuffed toy for you to play with."_

_"Waaa! Thank you so much, papa!! I love you!"_

At last, Byleth finally recalls the two. They were the plushies she'd completely forgotten about and buried in the corner of her mind once she received Claude for her birthday when she was younger. And now, they're standing before her, more menacing than she could ever remember. Did she ever give them such personalities?

This is their _revenge_. This is their payback for leaving them in the darkness. The sudden realization is shoved in her face, and it scares her. As much as she wants this to be a lie, it's not, for they're there with her. Waves of fear wash over her, and unconsciously, her entire body begins to shake in fright, eyes widened. They notice it instantly, and Dimitri chuckles. He leans closer, until Byleth can feel his breaths tickling her ear, the proximity causing her to shiver again.

"Why are you trembling like a scared little mouse? There's nothing to be afraid of."

Edelgard joins Dimitri behind Byleth, her voice laced with false displeasure. "Does our service not satisfy you? We have more candy, if you'd like."

Byleth can't help but stammer, "Y-you two are...but you're supposed to be..."

And just like that, the facade is dropped entirely. The fake hospitality and kindness vanish all too quickly. Edelgard frowns.

"Inanimate? Forgotten? Oh, Byleth, how _naive_ you are. Well, yes, it was like that for a long time. We owe everything to the man who gave us this chance." Edelgard's hand grasps onto Byleth's shoulder suddenly and roughly, causing the teen to lurch forward slightly. Her voice sounds so much closer. "We will not let you leave us ever again."

This is the worst possible situation Byleth could possibly be in. She isn't bound, she could try and defend herself if she wants, but yet, she can't bring herself to. She can't stand the idea of raising her hand against either of them.

_I deserve it - all of it. This is what I get for being so stupid, so forgetful..._

So, she doesn't fight back, even as both Edelgard and Dimitri step away from her. There's no sound from them, no conversation directed towards each other or to her. Before she can turn around or break the silence, however, from her very edge of her vision, she sees two figures dash forward, with their arms outstretched.

Byleth gasps, feeling two hands magically go through her body, seemingly intangible. She can _feel _them, and yet...there's no pain.

"What..."

And then the hands go deeper, passing through her very bones, then fingers grasp tightly onto her heart, but she still feels nothing. They roughly tug and pull at the beating organ, forcefully and with no trace of gentleness. The more they do so, with no sign of stopping, the more the pain eventually and quickly builds up, until her heart finally gives way, tearing away the cords and arteries. They don't stop at that, holding on even tighter, dragging it out, pulling it out of her entire body, and then--

** _Blood._ **

It's too sudden, without warning. She can only let out a breathless cough as her entire body spasms uncontrollably, the red liquid blossoming from her chest and already dripping onto the floor. She wants to scream in pain, but she can't, even though it hurts _so bad_.

_How did they...what did they do?_

She collapses to the floor, wheezing, weakly turning her head to look back at Edelgard and Dimitri. They both have sinister, victorious little smiles on their faces, eyes unnaturally glowing lavender and blue respectively. One of their hands each are covered in blood. Her blood. Cradled in their palms is her heart, frantically but futilely beating for life.

Her world has already begun to shut down, her vision going black. Byleth's head is still spinning, and although the sharp, intense pain in her chest has since dwindled down to a constant, dull ache, she can barely feel even that anymore. She distantly hears Edelgard's voice, ringing in her ears.

"Now, I'm certain you'll _never _forget us."

She can only let out a small whimper in response. As her consciousness slips away, probably permanently this time, all that's in her head now are the words she wants to say so bad, but can't.

_I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...!_

And then everything fades away into nothingness.

* * *

Jeralt is minding his own business when his phone on the table suddenly rings. He sighs in irritation and picks it up. "Hello?"

"Ah, Mr. Eisner, correct?"

"Yes, that's me. What do you want?"

He recognizes the voice as the officer he'd spoken to a few days ago, "We've found a body that seems to match the description we have of your daughter in the forest, we were alerted to it by a mysterious man in a black cloak."

The man's train of thought seems to stop upon hearing those words. "Are...you sure it's my daughter?"

"That's why I'm calling. We'd like you to come to the scene to ascertain as to whether the identity of the body is indeed her."

His voice shakes as he speaks, "Of course, I'll be right there."

"Thanks for your cooperation. See you later, then."

The line clicks and Jeralt immediately moves. He changes at the speed of light, faster than he thought he could ever get dressed, and rushes out the door, almost forgetting to close it. He runs as fast as his legs can take him to the outskirts of the town where the forest is located, the only thing on his mind being Byleth's safety.

_Please don't let it be Byleth. Please tell me she's okay._

He regrets not reminding her to bring her phone with her - she always forgets. Maybe he might've at least gotten a hint as to where Byleth had gone the day she disappeared. He shakes his head as he keeps running, praying to the Goddess for some kind of miracle that Byleth is safe. He wouldn't know what to do without her; she is everything to him.

When he gets to the edge of the forest, it's pretty easy to tell where the police are waiting for him. There's flashing lights and everything. Probably an ambulance, Jeralt assumes. His heart seems to beat faster with every step, anxiety and tension filling the air around him. As he draws nearer, he sees the officer he's been in contact with, and the shorter man waves him over.

"Where's the body?" He can't help but immediately ask, only growing more worried at the officer's facial expression as he points in the direction of a large tree. That cannot be a good sign. Jeralt moves closer, and the sight of the scene drains all hope from him instantly.

Lying against the trunk of the giant tree is Byleth, her head drooping down and teal hair hiding her face. Her chest is _covered_ in blood, as if someone just tore a hole right through her. What's most interesting, however, are the two stuffed toys that lie beside her. One is of a girl with pretty violet eyes and long silver-blonde hair, a black and gold uniform, black heels and a red cape attached to the side of her uniform. The plush that sits beside her is of a boy instead, having short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a similar uniform to the one the girl wears, but his cape is blue instead. When Jeralt walks closer to get a better look, he notices that these toys happen to be the same ones Byleth used to have as a child and loved so dearly. Edelgard and Dimitri, they were named.

The cute smiles that grace their soft faces have not changed ever since.

**Author's Note:**

> AYY I FINISHED IT IN TIME! I didn't expect the fic to end up being as long as it is, but...oh well! I really don't think I justified the ending properly, and I don't plan to write anything violent after this >_>
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for reading, and see you soon!
> 
> P. S. If you caught what song this is mostly based off I'll give you a cookie! (it isnt hard, though)


End file.
